Ten Habit are make you fat.

So, you thought potatoes and pasta are the prime reasons why you are gaining fat? Sorry to debunk your concept, but losing or gaining fat is much more than just globing down those unhealthy foods. No, we are not telling you that junk food and fried potatoes don’t put in that extra calories, but a little mindful eating and a few changes in your habits here and there can go a long way to aid in your fat loss journey. We, at MSN researched through some of the daily habits that can actually make you fat and trust us we are as surprised as you will be. Listing here are ten daily habits that make your waistline bigger and your pants tighter without you even realising it.

1. Taking big bites: Do you know that people who took large bites of food consumed 52 percent more calories in one sitting than those who took small bites and chewed much longer? So the trick is to cut down your food into smaller pieces take time to chew down. By cutting food into smaller pieces, you can increase satiety and enjoy your food more thoroughly. A good general rule? The smaller your bites, the thinner your waistline.

2. Putting serving dishes on the table

Resist setting out foods buffet- or family-style, and opt instead to serve them from the kitchen. A study found that when food is served from the dinner table, people consume 35 percent more over the course of the meal. When an additional helping requires leaving the table, people hesitate to go back for more.

3. Not including whole grain: In a study done by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition it was found that when obese people incorporated whole grains into their diets, they lost more abdominal fat over the course of 12 weeks. There are likely multiple factors at play, but the most notable is this: Whole grain foods pack in more fiber and an overall stronger nutritional package than their refined-grain counterparts.

4. Not drinking enough water: Yes, we know that you have heard it before, yet we are repeating it just to ensure that you hear it once more. Adequate water intake is essential for all your body’s functions, and the more you drink, the better your chances of staying thin. In an experiment, dieting participants who were instructed to drink two cups of water before each meal lost 30 percent more weight than their thirsty peers. And you can magnify the effect by adding ice. German researchers found that six cups of cold water a day could prompt a metabolic boost that incinerates 50 daily calories. That’s enough to shed over 2 kilos of weight per year!

5. Eating off larger plates :One study found that when given an option, a whopping 98.6 percent of obese individuals opt for larger plates. Translation: More food, more calories, and more body fat. Keep your portions in check by choosing smaller serving dishes. If need be, you can always go back for seconds.

6. Hanging out with unhealthy friends:  Research from the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that when a friend becomes obese, it ups your chance of obesity by 57 percent. This probably has to do with the social norms that you’re exposed to. Rather than ditch a friend who starts to put on a few extra pounds though, suggest healthy activities that you can do together, and avoid letting him or her dictate the meal.

7. Not getting enough sleep: One of the incredible way to burn fat is to sleep enough. Your body can burn fat while you sleep, but only if it isn’t too busy processing a full stomach.

8. Not using a scale: Looking at your body weight reinforces weight-loss goals and makes it difficult to cheat your diet. Researchers at University of Minnesota observed dieters who weighed themselves daily, discovered that the routine of stepping on a scale helped those people lose twice as much weight as those who weighed themselves less frequently. One word of advice: avoid being thrown off by natural fluctuations in body weight by stepping onto the scale at the same time every day. For example, if you weight yourself the first thing in the morning or just before going to bed at night, the next time or any other time that you weight yourself, make sure you maintain the same timings.

9. Choosing fruity drinks: Love that fresh lime soda and fruit juice in the summers? It’s time you think again before you have another glass enxt time. Most restaurants and bars have ditched their fresh-fruit recipes in favor of viscous syrups made mostly from high fructose corn syrup and thickening agents. As a general rule, the more garnishes a drink has hanging from its rim, the worse it is for your waistline. So the rule of the game: Next time you are thirsty, ditch the fruit juice or that “fresh” lime soda and think water.

10. Eating when emotional

Are you guilty of eating mindlessly when you are stressed or bored? Trust us, you are not alone. Most people have a tendency to eat when emotionally imbalanced and thereby put on the extra flab. Sometimes we tend to think boredom as a way of telling us that we are hungry. If you feel the urge to eat in response to stress, try chewing a piece of gum, chugging a glass of water, or taking a walk around the block. Create an automatic response that doesn’t involve food and you’ll prevent yourself from overloading on calories.

© msn.com